This is the endgame of the Op. 38 "Forgotten Melodies." If this recording is acceptable, I can also record and submit the Sonata-Reminiscenza (a much bigger and more complex piece) which opens the set.

Indeed the Sonata Reminiscenza is bigger and more ambitious, but I find this one to be the more complex of the two. The polyrythmic problems (always lurking in Medtner) are considerable here, and you handle them well, if not totally convincingly. It may be better to take it a bit faster (though not too much), try to keep the LH in its waltz tempo and get the RH to chime in with that somehow. It is much harder than it sounds - I know this piece well and have problems with it too. The 'Sonata' somehow falls more readily under the fingers.

Apart from that, solidly played, and no slips of any significance. The clising arpeggios are very impressive. It is a shame the sound is so weak and tinny, and the piano rather bit off in the treble. For inclusion on the site, it would be nice (ok, desirable....) to have a better sounding recording. Can you work on that ?

All the same, please post any other Medtner you have, it will be interesting to hear. Here is a still vastly underrated composer whom we should definitely have on this site.

It is a pity that the sound quality is not better as I belive you play this piece pretty well. Perhaps a little shaky in the beginning but it gets more and more confident along the way. Is it possible to record it with equipment providing better sound?

The cross-rhythm is great fun. I love helping listeners focus on one voice, then the other, and watching them break out into a grin as they realize how independent they are and how naturally they fit together. It's unfortunate that right near the beginning, there's a wide chord in the left hand that I can't quite reach all of, and as of yet haven't figured out how to work around it other than brazenly fracturing the rhythm. Just as it's getting established, too. Grrr. Still thinking on it.

This recording was pretty much spur-of-the-moment. Someone recently told me about the Piano Society, so when I dropped by the student lounge late last night and realized (a) it was empty (and thus not noisy) and (b) I had my laptop with me, I figured what the heck, press Record and submit something. There are certainly better pianos here on campus; based on your feedback, I'll ask around in the music department about better recording facilities.

I've tried the MD + handheld mic combo. Depending on mic placement, it turned out either distorted during loud sections or extremely quiet throughout (if you thought my first recording was quiet, this is something else entirely). Also, of course, it's only mono.

I seem not to have the right equipment, and since this won't be the last time I'll want to record myself playing, I'm willing to buy whatever's needed. Is there a standard microphones-and-portable-digital-recorder combination that people use? If not, can someone point me at a discussion of the popular options?

Time is of the essence -- the local piano is tuned and, since we're between semesters, not being mashed into premature decay by the artless -- so the sooner I can get my mitts on the proper equipment, the sooner I can submit a few worthwhile Medtner recordings. Thanks!

P.S. I've experimented with a slightly brisker tempo from the get-go, as was suggested, and it really does work wonders.

A number of people here use the Edirol R9 portable mp3/wav recorder. The built-in mics provide a very acceptable sound although it would probably be better still with external mics. We can recommend this device to you, it is very easy to use. Check it out on the Internet and join the Edirol gang !

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